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‘American Pickers’ coming to Greene County looking for sellers

By Dave Zuchowski, For The Greene County Messenger 4 min read
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“American Pickers,” a reality show that has aired on the History Channel since January 2010, features antique and collectible pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz.

The entertaining duo travel the back roads and highways of the nation following leads they get beforehand as to caches of items they might be interested in or simply stopping at likely spots they think might have what they’re looking for.

Next month, the duo and their film crew plan to be in Pennsylvania and are looking for unique collections and the interesting stories behind them. Wolfe and Fritz are hoping to give historically significant items a new lease on life, while learning about America’s past along the way.

In advance of their Pennsylvania sojourn, they’re looking for large rare collections and things they’ve never seen before. They’re asking Greene County residents who think they have what they’re looking for along with a unique or interesting story to contact them. They have contacted the Greene County Chamber of Commerce asking to help them get the word out.

Melody Longstreth, the chamber’s executive director, said she and her family are big fans of the show and have been watching it for the past four or five years.

“I like old things, and a lot of items I see on the show take me back to my childhood,” she said. “Watching the show is often like a walk down Memory Lane. The show is also fun to watch because Fritz and Wolfe have a great sense of humor, and the people they meet on the road often have interesting stories.”

Wolfe and Fritz spend about 90 percent of the year on the road looking for antique and collectible treasures they either add to their own collections or sell to museums or commercial establishments such as restaurants and stores. They also have two retail stores of their own — one in their home state of Iowa and another in Nashville, Tennessee.

“A lot of the time they get in crazy situations with interesting people,” Longstreth said. “Then the bargaining over price begins.”

Wolfe is especially fond of collecting antique motorcycles, air-cooled Volkswagens, penny farthings and old bicycles, while Fritz has a fondness for old toys, oil cans and Hondas.

In their searches, they avoid places like museums, flea markets, businesses and retail stores. They are, however, keen on exploring people’s homes, old barns, sheds and out buildings looking for items of interest.

“There are places in Greene County that would make for a great ‘American Pickers’ episode,” Longstreth said. “Hopefully all the pieces will fall into place to make it happen.”

Those who have a collection of interesting antiques and collectibles or who know of someone who does, can contact American Pickers by phone at 1-855-OLD-RUST or on the website www.AmericanPickerscineflix.com.

One Greene County family has already had an encounter with an American Picker representative, Robert Wolfe, actually the brother of Mike Wolfe.

The encounter took place in Morgan’s Treasures, a vintage antique and collectibles shop in Waynesburg. Owners David and Kim Bedilion found a porcelain, bow-tie type of Budweiser sign from the 1930s in the basement of one of their properties. Not aware of its value, they put it out on the street with a $100 sign, where it stood all day without a buyer.

While vacationing in Kentucky, they met with a woman who knew a lot about old signs but were unable to get much information on their find. When they got back home they put a photo of the sign on Facebook for the woman to see. An hour later they got a call from Robert Wolfe, who claimed to be an agent for the “Pickers.”

After calls back and forth over a three-day period, they made arrangements for Wolfe to visit the shop that had been in Kim’s family for over eighty years.

When Wolfe dropped into the shop, he ended up paying more than ten times the original asking price, stuck around afterward and chatted with the couple, signed photos and took pictures of himself with the couple and their 12-year old daughter, Morgan.

“Naturally, we were excited by his visit and have one of his signed photos on display at the shop,” David Bedilion said.

Longstreth hopes that others in Greene County will respond to the call from “American Pickers” and phone them if they have a collection of antiques and collectibles.

“I think it would be great to have someone from Greene County on the show,” she said.

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